Lightweight, heavy-duty protection

Next-generation military ground vehicles are being designed with materials that make them lighter for mobility while stronger to resist explosive impacts.

The world has seen dramatic advancements in military ground vehicles since they were first introduced almost a century ago. Today's warfighter faces danger in the entire theater of operations because there is no such thing as a front line like in prior conflicts. Thus, vehicles that previously could be designed to simply transport troops and cargo without protection must now be designed to provide protection, as well as payload and performance with respect to mobility.

“This presents a challenge that sophisticated systems engineering teams can meet in order to design a lightweight but high-performing and highly protected vehicle,” said Steve Ramsey, Vice President of Ground Vehicles for Lockheed Martin. “Modern military ground vehicles feature sophisticated electronics to keep warfighters in constant contact with their commands and provide situational awareness of their surroundings, as well as advanced materials that provide levels of protection against attack and detection, a far cry from the basic transportation-based vehicles used in World War II and other conflicts.”